Brunch: (noun) – a neologism born of an abbreviation of Breakfunch, itself a term coined from the combination of breakfast and lunch. Used to designate a meal that’s neither strictly breakfast nor lunch – e.g. eggs in the afternoon or beer pre-midday. Not to be confused with Brinner, which involves Coca-Pops after 6pm.

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Its myriad forms, however, brunch escapes definition – it needs to be learned by experience. Here, The New Daily has compiled a list of some of our favourite places for not-quite-breakfast but not-quite-lunch.

Millstone

10a Claremont Ave Malvern, VIC

When it comes to culinary daytrips in Melbourne, Malvern isn’t usually the first destination that comes to mind. But, chef Alice Wright – trained in the world’s pastry capital, Paris – has put Malvern on the map with Millstone Patisserie. Her exquisite salted caramel, hazelnut and rhubarb domes, pain au chocolate and croissants are the really-real deal.

Plus, Ali has finally perfected the egg-and-bacon roll, with the addition of a brioche bun, chipotle mayo and an egg cooked just-so…

Piggery Cafe

1 Sherbrooke Rd, Sherbrooke, VIC

Nothing whets the appetite quite like a country road-trip, which we suppose was exactly the thinking of Shannon Bennett in opening The Piggery Cafe. Set within the grounds of Burnham Beeches, The Piggery is the first stage in Bennett’s culinary overhaul of the historic property.

As the name suggests, The Piggery is not Vue de Monde – instead you’ll find hot dogs (made with merguez sausage, house-made pickles in a brioche bun) and burgers (Blackmore wagyu, no less). Just good old-fashioned country fare, right?

The Kettle Black

50 Albert Road, South Melbourne, VIC

Anyone can open a cafe. But the dudes behind The Top Paddock are out to gentrify breakfast with South Melbourne’s newest venue, The Kettle Black. Produce and technique alike are of the very highest quality – what might be a tuna sandwich elsewhere is a King Island Crayfish in an Ash Roll with Native Coastal Spinach, Lime and Yuzu Mayonnaise at Kettle Black.

A boring old bowl of muesli is unexpectedly thrilling with Australian Grains, House-Made Yoghurt, Seasonal Fruits and Flowers. And when it comes to cuppa joe, you’ll get expertly-brewed single-origin Small Batch and Market Lane.

Cornersmith

314 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville, NSW

Not the newest kids on the block, nor the flashiest, Cornersmith must be included in any best-brunch list by dint of being really, really good.

Using genuinely local ingredients (for the nearby gardens of Marrickville, where possible), and your grandmother’s methods (home-made jams and pickles), Cornersmith’s breakfasts – like the house-made ricotta and quince on sourdough – have the rare ability to make you feel as though you’ve done something good for yourself.

Brewtown Newtown

6-8 O’Connell St, Newtown, NSW

As the name might suggest, Brewtown Newtown’s where to go when you’re in dire need of a decent cup. Coffee is served in all the myriad ways it’s possible to squeeze out of a bean – espresso, filter, cold-drip, or inside something called The Steampunk. The guys also purchase their beans direct from plantations, which means you can regularly sample unusual origins.

To complement the coffee, of course, is a bistro-style breakfast menu, with beetroot cured ocean trout, avocado smash, rye sour dough toast, dill, Persian feta and beetroot relish, and Belgian waffles, orange ricotta, stewed fruits, caramelised figs.

Mothership by Single O

28B Cranbrook Road, Botany, NSW

Single Origin is one of the heavy hitters in Sydney’s – nay, Australia’s – coffee scene. For a decade Single O has graced the Reservoir Street footpath, and now the burbs are getting some lovin’ too. The Mothership in Botany is connected to Single Origin’s roastery, and its brew-bar offers four different single origin coffees in espresso, drip or pour-over each month.

And, the grub’s just as good as it is in Surry – try a house-cured bacon and egg roll with tomato chutney or the cafe’s signature poached Eggs, avocado, almond, lamb merguez, zatar and chickpea salad.

Larry and Ladd

Shop 36, Regent Arcade, Adelaide, SA

One of the best uses of a day off is nothing. And, with its row of fancy magazines, new Adelaide cafe Larry & Ladd caters for just that. While you’re browsing, you can linger over an expertly-brewed cup and a pintxos sandwich’ with potato and sausage sandwich (which works, by the way). And, if you’re not finished the mag when you’re through, you can take it home to continue doing nothing for the rest of the afternoon.

Pilgrim Coffee

48 Argyle St, Hobart, TAS

Surely, there’s a point when the queue for a cream bun at Jackman and McRoss becomes intolerable. Thankfully, Pilgrim Coffee on Argyle Street more than compensates: its all-day breakfast uses local wood-fired bread, Tasmanian free-range and game meats, and world-class coffee from Axil, Proud Marys, Sensory Lab, Five Senses and Market Lane.

Though the menu is seasonal, expect dishes like ‘the hipster breakfast’ of sourdough, slow eggs, kassler, mushrooms and Mexican beans (with a paleo ‘caveman’ option) or, for the more refined, botanical cured trout with yuzu avocado, goats curd and local radish. Who needs a cream bun anyway?

Haynes Street Larder

2A Haynes St, Kalamunda, WA

For those who greet the sun with a downward dog, Haynes Street Larder is bringing healthy and allergy-free food to Kalamunda. For those on a cleanse, try cold-pressed juices and a slice of quinoa banana cake; perhaps gluten, dairy and soy-free pastries by Molly’s Picnic; or those who’re a little more cavalier with their health, a chicken, brie and mushroom pie.

Hansell and Gretel

281 Pickering St, Gaythorne, QLD

Although the name might give diners (legitimate) fears of being pushed forcefully into the oven, Hansell and Gretel’s ‘Spanish Matador’ of egg, tomato, chorizo, and manchego, and the ‘Woodchopper’s Breakfast’ of fried egg, beans, chorizo, bacon, mushroom, pulled pork, smoked brisket and haloumi make taking the risk entirely worth it.